How Many Solar Panels Will I Need?

It’s the number one question of serious solar panel researchers. If I do this – how many solar panels will I actually need to buy and install on my house? A lot? Is that expensive? Just a few? Is that worth it and will it produce enough solar energy for me? These are the basic, but very important questions you’ll need to answer before you make the big commitment to solar energy.

The answers, of course, are different for everyone and have more to do with your house, location, and your family’s particular energy needs. Mountain States Solar & Roofing will first and foremost tell you about the general costs and equipment before you have to do anything at all. From there they will happily provide a free consultation of your home and energy needs, checking things like roof space and local utilities to give you the most accurate estimate for your decision making process.

How Much Solar Power Do You Actually Need?

The very first thing you’ll check with them is your average monthly power consumption. The average American home is right around 900 kWh each month. If your family is above or below that, they will factor that into their estimate.

Then they will look at the location and orientation of your home. Houses in the northern hemisphere need solar panel placement on the southern facing surfaces of their roofs. Mountain States Solar & Roofing knows the daily weather and sunshine of Utah, so they’ll know exactly how much solar energy you can expect to gather on average throughout the year. They will look at things like the orientation of your home, trees, hills, mountains, or other shade-causing things around your home, and the total area of your roof. These things can affect how much solar energy is absorbed by your solar panels, and how many solar panels can be installed on your roof.

Based on average home sizes, average power consumption, and average solar energy absorption, most Americans need about 20 solar panels to power their home completely with solar energy. Of course, if you get more sunlight you may need fewer solar panels, and if you have less sunlight, or insufficient roof space you may find yourself with fewer solar panels or less solar energy.

Of course the needs of your family are completely unique. Your home is unique, and so is your neighborhood. It’s difficult to predict exactly how many solar panels you will need for your home and family situation, and it’s difficult to predict how much solar energy you can capture and utilize in your home. That’s why it’s important to do your homework and speak with the experts at Mountain States Solar & Roofing before you make any quick judgments about solar panels and if they’re right for you. Solar energy can make a difference in just about every home in America, and it’s the energy source of the future.

Call or contact an expert at Solar Power Utah today for a totally free consultation and assessment of your solar needs.